This document relates generally to systems and methods for processing communications and more particularly to systems and methods for filtering communications.
In the electronic mail filtering industry, most existing systems are aimed at filtering incoming messages. Content policy compliance (e.g., compliance with corporate or governmental policy) can be an important consideration for companies in view of the increasingly electronic character of important communications and availability of a variety of electronic communication techniques.
In accordance with the teachings disclosed herein, methods and systems are provided for operation upon one or more data processors to filter communications in accordance with content based policy compliance. For example, a method and system can include: defining a classification associated with the content of a class of files; receiving a set of characteristics distinctive to the classification; wherein the set of characteristics has been derived based upon the set of files; receiving a rule defining the treatment of content substantially similar to the set of characteristics; and, wherein the rule defines whether to forward a communication to a recipient based upon the classification of the content and at least one of the recipient or the sender.